Rural Lifestyle Expo 2017

March 25, 2017 @ 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM

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The Rural Lifestyle Expo will celebrate its sixth birthday at the place it all started, humble countryside Ballarat. The Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society formed in 1856. Ever since the group has conducted small events within the region. The Rural Lifestyle Expo is the one that stuck, with the number of exhibitors and attendees constantly growing as the Expo moves forward as an educative grounds for producers and a market place for consumers.

Visitors

The Rural Lifestyle Expo has established itself as an imparting ground, leaving attendees with rural wisdom from expert speakers, practical demonstrations and trade stalls. Visitors have an opportunity to learn about small acre farming, cattle breeds and health monitoring, land management, sustainable practices, farm machinery and industry tips for rural gardens. The Expo has already announced that there will be 80 separate demonstrations over the course of the 2017 Exhibition.

Earning a reputation for being one of the most comprehensive horse information shows within Australia, the Rural Lifestyle Expo combines uncommon horse breeds with professional equestrian and master horseman. The experienced professionals will run demos while providing information about how to care for and train country horse breeds.

If you live on a farm, you either own a shed, or you’re looking to build one. For the latter, the Expo puts on demonstrations on how to put a shed up, as well as how to manage farming infrastructure like stockyards, fences and water tanks. Government organisations will also be in attendance, giving farmers the opportunity to discuss policies and legislation that may affect their businesses.

If you’re a farmer looking for a mower or new machine attachment, the Rural Lifestyle Expo will take your hand. Putting on live demonstrations of Utes, tractors and machine attachments, trailers, ATV’s, horse floats and you name it. It creates an opportunity for farmers to actively see the machines in action and measure the attachment capacities.

There will also be plenty of activities for the kids too. A dedicated Children Zone will feature mazes, an animal nursery and simple craft tasks to get the kids involved Expo ethos. For the unwilling spouses, the expo has also set up a dedicated Food Zone. The Food Zone will run tutorials on cheese, butter and cider craft, as well as explanations on beef cuts and how to use them.

Exhibitors

Not just attracting visitors, the Expo has too become popular with local traders and businesses for its potential to connect products with consumers. The Expo won the CGU Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Award in their first year of operation. Exhibitors are already piling into the 2017 festival, securing sites from the receding Ballarat Showgrounds space.

Tickets

Tickets are available at the showgrounds on the day. However the closest ATM is at a shopping centre 1km away, so it’s best you make sure you’ve got cash spare if you don’t want to make the trek. There are also free tickets being offered to members of the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society. If you’re interested in becoming a member, visit the Expo’s ticket page for more details.

Adult: $10

Senior: $8

Kids: (5-15): $5

Kids under 5: Free

How To Get There

Ballarat is 110kms West of Melbourne, in Central Victoria. By car, it’s about an hour and twenty minutes travel time from Melbourne. The Western freeway provides public access to Ballarat from Melbourne. There are also Ballarat and Wendouree trains that leave from the Southern Cross Station and arrive at the Ballarat Station. From Ballarat Station one transfer to the Davis Bus will bring visitors directly to the showgrounds.